Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-05-16
gets reformed by the grace of God than
over ninety and nine that

gets reformed by the grace of God than
over ninety and nine that
NEVER GOT OFF THE TRACK.
could give you the history in a min
ute of one of the best friends ever had.
| Outside of my own family never had a
better friend. He welcomed me to my
home at the west. He was of splendid per
sonsI appearance, but he had an ardor OF
soul and warmth of affection that made
me love him like q brother. | saw men
coming out of the saloons and gambling
bells, and they surrounded my friend land
| they took him at the weak point, his So
cial nature, and l saw him going down
and I had g fair talk with him-for l
never yet saw a man you could not talk
with on the subject of his habits, if you
talked with him in the right way. l said
to him: "Why don't you give up your
bad habits and become Christian"
remember now Just how he looked, lean
ing over his counter, as he replied: 81
wish 1 could. Oh, sir! should like to be
a Christian, but have gone so far astray
that can't get back"
SO the time went on. After awhile the
day of sickness came. l was summoned
to his sick bed. l fastened. 1t took me
was surprised as l went in. l saw him
in his ordinary dress, fully dressed, lying
on top of the bed. gave him my hand
and he seized it convulsiVely, and said:
ooh, how glad l am to see you! Sit
down there" l sat down and he said
''Mr. Talmege, just whe e you sit now
my mother sat last night. She has been
dead twenty years. Now, l don't want
20 Of
that am superstitious; but, sir, she sat
there last night Just as certainly as you
sit there noW-the same cap and apron
and spectacles. 1t was my old mother
she sat there" Then he turned to his
wife and said: ~ wish you would take
these strings off the bed; somebody is
wrapping strings around me all the time:
l wish you would stop that annoyance"
She said: "There is nothing here" Then
| saw
IT WAS DELIRIUM.
He said: "Just where you sit now my
mother sat, and she said: Roswell, |
wish you would do better-I wish you
would do better l said: Mother,
wish 1 could do better. try to do bet
ter, but 1 can't, Mother, you used to
help me, why can't you help me noW?'
AuNlg S1A L gu OuG VI OSN} AO4 ~ Woc q
reality, and went to her, and threw my
arms around her neck, and I said:
"Mother, will do better, but you must
down and prayed. That night his soul
went to the Lord that made it.
Arrangements were made for the obse-
quies. The question was raised whether
they should bring him to the church.
such dissolute man as that into the
church" l said: s'You will bring him
in church; he stood by me when he was
dead. Bring him." AS l stood in the
the aisle, felt as if could weep tears
of blood.
On one side the pulpit sat his little
child Of eight years, g sweet, beautiful
little girl that 1 have seen him hug con-
vulsively in his better moments. He put
on her all jewels, all diamonds, and gave
her all pictures and toys, and then he
would go away as If bounded by an evil
spirit, to his cups and the house of shame
"a fool to the correction of the stocks.
She looked up wondaringly. She
knew not what it all meant. She was
HOU O4S OAOuSn " uuUS1SGuuO buC oOIAOh
of an orphan child.
On the other side the pulpit sat the men
who had ruined him; they were the men
who had poured the NORWOOD into the
orphans cup; they were the men who
had bound him hand and foot. knew
them. How did they seem to feel? Did
they weep? No. Did they say: "What
pity that SO generous man should be de-
SfrOUn69D al 0h Crlu
over what they had done? No; they sat
there, looking as vultures look at the car
cass of q lamb whose heart they have
ripped out. So they sat and looked at
the coffin lid, and 1 told them the judg-
ment of God upon those who had de-
stroyed their fellows. Did they reform?
1 was told they were in the places Of in
iquity that night after my friend was laid